The National President of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, Bello Bodejo, has been granted bail in the sum of ₦2 billion by the Federal High Court in Abuja as he faces prosecution over alleged money laundering involving $2.63 million.
Justice Inyang Ekwo, who delivered the ruling on Monday, held that the charges against the defendant are bailable and that the court was satisfied it could exercise its discretion in his favour pending the determination of the case.
The court directed Bodejo to provide one surety in the same amount.
According to the bail conditions, the surety must be a resident of Abuja, possess a valid three-year tax clearance certificate and own landed property within the Federal Capital Territory valued at ₦2 billion.
Justice Ekwo further ordered that the title documents for the property be verified by the court registrar before the bail can take effect.
The judge also directed the Miyetti Allah leader to deposit his international passport with the court and restrained him from travelling outside Nigeria without prior approval.
The matter was adjourned until October 5, 6 and 7, 2026, for the commencement of trial.
Bodejo was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on July 9 on multiple counts of alleged money laundering involving approximately $2.63 million.
He pleaded not guilty to the charges.
At the previous sitting, EFCC counsel, Wahab Shittu (SAN), had requested a trial date and urged the court to remand the defendant in the custody of the anti-graft agency.
Counsel to the defendant, Ahmed Raji (SAN), however, informed the court that a bail application had already been filed and argued that the offences were bailable under the Administration of Criminal Justice Act.
The prosecution opposed the application, asking the court to decline the request.
According to the charges filed by the EFCC, Bodejo allegedly received $100,000 in cash from a former Accountant-General of Bauchi State, Sa'idu Abubakar, on January 11, 2022, in a transaction said to have been conducted outside the banking system.
The commission alleged that the payment exceeded the legal cash transaction threshold provided under the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended).
The anti-graft agency further alleged that Bodejo received additional cash payments of $200,000, $100,000, $980,000, $750,000 and $500,000 from the former accountant-general between 2022 and 2024, contrary to the provisions of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended), and the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
The EFCC maintains that the transactions were carried out outside financial institutions in violation of Nigeria's anti-money laundering laws.
Bodejo has denied the allegations and is contesting the charges before the court.
Leave a Reply